Preparation

Prick sweet potatoes in several places with a fork and bake on baking sheet in middle of oven until tender, about 1 hour. Cool potatoes until they can be handled.

Wearing rubber gloves, stem and seed chiles and tear into 1-inch pieces. In a small saucepan bring chiles and cream to a boil. In a blender purée mixture until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids).

Scoop flesh from potatoes into a food processor, discarding skins, and purée with cream mixture, salt, and 2 tablespoons butter. Purée may be made up to this point 1 day ahead and cooled before being chilled, covered.

Transfer purée to a large saucepan and heat over moderate heat, stirring, until hot, stirring in more salt and butter if desired.

The sweet potato and ancho flavors compliment each other surprisingly well! I probably add more chili than the recipe calls for because we like things spicy. My husband also prefers it in a chunkier, mashed potato style than as a puree, but it's a favorite recipe of ours.

I LOVE this! I made it for the boyfriend on Valentine's Day -- along with cornish game hens, roasted veggies in a balsamic vinegar reduction, and raspberry-chocolate molten cakes. Let me just tell you -- I wolfed down the vast majority of the sweet potato puree -- fighting off the boyfriend as I went. Snuck some extra chiles in there, too - yummmm yummmm yummmm!

This recipe is DIVINE. So So So good. I boiled the sweet potatoes with a little salt and sugar instead of baking, which made it super creamy and less like mashed potatoes (which is what I was avoiding, so that was good). My guests devoured it!

Easy to make and tasty! Not too spicy - just enough kick. We made this to go as a side dish with smoked pork chops and it turned out to be a great combination. We're making it again today (Thanksgiving!) to go with turkey and fixings.

Never ever put starchy things like sweet potato in a food processor - they turn to glue! I know better, but in my Thanksgiving rush I decided to chance it. So flavor was good, a nice change from the sweet sticky traditional things - but major complaints from my crew on the texture. No sweet potato leftovers on my table. Will repeat after they have forgotten and use a hand masher or ricer instead of my trusty Cuisinart.